As the number of children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases, researchers and practitioners are faced with the challenge of identifying efficient and effective treatments to meet the needs of a large number of individuals. Various interventions have been used with individuals with ASD to remediate social difficulties, one of the primary areas of impairment for those with ASD. Group and single-case studies have demonstrated positive effects through individual, peer-mediated, and group social skills interventions for various age groups. The research largely focuses on early childhood however, and the majority of interventions take place in a face-to-face context. This study examined the effectiveness of an online video modeling intervention for adolescents in an effort to explore online delivery as a novel medium for the delivery of social skills intervention for individuals with ASD. To gather information about relevant intervention factors, participant feedback was sought and attitudes about the intervention were assessed. In addition, this study examined the relationships between social skills, mental health problems, and academic achievement for adolescents with ASD, as well as the effects of social skill improvement on mental health problems. Fifty adolescents with ASD in grades 9-12 were included in this randomized controlled study, as well as one parent of each participating adolescent. Adolescents were randomly assigned to either a 6-week online social skills intervention group or a wait-list control group. Data from all participants at pre-test were used to examine the relationships between social, mental health, and academic variables, whereas changes from pre-test to post-test were compared between groups to examine intervention effects. Additionally, this study examined reporter effects by comparing adolescent and parent measures of social skills within each of the broader research goals.No significant effects of treatment on social skills were found when examining adolescent and parent reports. A significant treatment effect was found, however, on parent ratings of adolescent problem behavior and parent ratings of ASD symptoms. Parents and adolescents had significantly different reports of social skills at pre-test and post-test, but a comparison of gain scores indicated non-significant differences between groups in parent and adolescent reports of social skills change over time. Perceived competence for learning, interest/enjoyment, and attitudes toward using technology were not predictive of intervention outcomes. Important relationships were found between social, mental health, and academic variables, including significant predictive effects of parent social skills ratings on GPA, grades, depression, and anxiety. Although adolescent social skill ratings had no predictive effects, adolescent problem behavior ratings were predictive of anxiety and depression ratings. Adolescent ratings of social skills change over time were predictive of changes in anxiety ratings over time, but were not predictive of changes in depression ratings over time. This study highlights implications for alternative delivery of interventions and provides a foundation for future research on creatively and effectively serving all students with ASD who face social challenges.
Read
